A change in our eating....

A forced change in our eating habits has left me searching for lower fat, higher vegetable (or vegetarian) meals.

R and I really like the Pasta e Fagioli from the EDC. It is fairly healthy, the sauce is made with mostly canellini beans. And, it is vegetarian. However, it needs an accompanied by bread. My first at attempt at bread rolls was ok, but not awesome, so I had a go at something different - Portugese Rolls. Wow. They were easy, quick and best of all, so so yummy. The kids liked them, we loved them! I will definetly be doing these again!

I am doing a cake decorating course, so have needed to make some mud cakes in order to decorate! I have tried 2 different recipes now, both different in ingredients. One was eaten - it was very very yummy. The other is in the fridge waiting to be iced this week. Will post the better recipe once I am convinced which one works best.


We are headed camping at Easter, so no thermomix for a whole 4 days! I decided I wanted to try Chocolate Hot Cross Buns, so invited over our besties for morning tea today. Even though I was making dough rather early to allow for the double rise, it was so worth it. These were sensational, although I don't think all the kids were that keen.

A few new things...

Ok - I am going to stop apologising for the lack of posts! Life is busy, and even though the thermomix makes my kitchen time quicker, faster, easier, less messier, healthier, cheaper etc etc etc... I now spend my spare time surfing the web looking for new things to try in the thermomix. Here are a few of the things I have tried in the last couple of weeks!
(DISCLAIMER: I know I will never be a professional food photographer, so just roll with it, okay?)

• Poached eggs: so easy, put eggs in the varoma in a silicone mould, place 1L water in bowl, steam on Varoma temp for 13-14 minutes at sp 1. Place a teatowel over the eggs, under the varoma lid at 5 minutes to go to stop condensation dripping back on the eggs. This pic is R's birthday breakkie in bed. The roasted tomatoes were home grown in our garden!

• Choc chip and banana and maple syrup icecream

• Caramel Slice (made by R) from the Lunch Box and after school ideas recipe booklet. Easy and delicious!

• Little Party Savouries - a great quick dinner for the kids, keeps well for the next day.

• Caramelised onions (for pizza topping)
• 2 onions sliced into rings
• 20gms brown sugar
• 20gms balsamic vinegar
• 20ml olive oil
• Add all ingredients and:
• 90 deg, 20 minutes, speed 1 (MC Off)
• (then detangle from blades with spatula)
• Varoma temp, 15 min, speed 1

• Womens Weekly Basic Butter cake (double batch)

• 330gms raw sugar
• 250gms butter, cubed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 450gms SR flour
• 250gms milk
• Place sugar in bowl, mill for 10 sec, sp 10.
• Add butter, chop for 40 sec, sp 7. 
• Insert butterfly and mix for 2 min sp 4, pausing a few times to scrape sides down.
• Add vanilla and mix for 1 min sp 4. Whilst mixing, add eggs in through the top.
• Remove butterfly, add milk and flour
• Mix for another 30 sec sp 5, scrape sides and repeat this step.
• Pour into cake tin or patty cases as required and bake in oven at 180 deg.
• (I made a round cake that took about 45 minutes to cook, and 18 cup cakes that took 12 minutes to cook)

• Raspberry and white chocolate muffins

• Nigella's Flourless Brownies - Gluten friendly! Whilst this recipe is not TMX converted, I didn't write down what I did, I just sort of 'winged' it. They were yummy!!!